The present invention relates to a method of stacking brake drums for storage or shipment and to brake drums with a drum stacking structure.
With reference to FIG. 1, a plurality of brake drums, some of which have been numbered as 10, are shown strapped by metal straps, one strap being indicated at 12, to a pallet 14 for shipment. In FIG. 1, there are five layers of brake drums respectively indicated at 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24. Each layer or level of brake drums in FIG. 1 is comprised of five brake drums, one on each corner of the layer with one brake drum positioned in the center of the four corner drums. The bottom layer 16 of brake drums rest on an upper surface of pallet 14. The other layers 18, 20, 22 and 24 of brake drums each rest on a respective sheet of plywood (26, 28, 30 and 32) positioned between the respective brake drum layers. A top plywood sheet 34 rests on the upper surfaces of the brake drums of the upper layer 24. The straps 12 typically pass over the top of upper sheet 34. Given the dimensions of brake drums in certain applications, such as for heavy duty trucks, each of the plywood sheets 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34 typically is approximately one-half sheet of plywood. Although in theory the plywood could be returned to the brake drum shipper for reuse, this would involve shipping costs. In addition, oftentimes the plywood is simply not returned and new
In another common approach, each layer has four drums with one drum being positioned at each comer of the layer.
Therefore, a need exists for improved brake drums with stacking features and for an improved method of stacking brake drums. The present invention is directed toward new and unobvious aspects of a brake drum with stacking features and brake drum stacking method acts, both alone and in various combinations and subcombinations with one another and as set forth in the claims below.